Conclusion

Quick Out of The Box

HIS claims their 6870 IceQ X Turbo X is the “world’s fastest Radeon HD 6870” and based on our findings here, we think they are right. Judging from clock speeds alone, the HIS card is the highest amongst their competitors. Out of the box, the HIS 6870 IceQ X Turbo X was about 5% to 10% quicker than the MSI R6870 Hawk and the previously reviewed HIS Radeon HD 6870 Turbo.

However, because its clock speeds are already so high, the HIS 6870 IceQ X Turbo X, unfortunately does not leave much room for overclocking. And in its overclocked state, you can see that performance doesn’t improve significantly.

Furthermore, while the HIS 6870 IceQ X Turbo X is quick, it is also runs considerably warmer than its MSI competitor - 64 degrees Celsius against 57 degrees Celsius. In its overclocked state, it ran even warmer at 68 degrees Celsius. We also noted that it has a slightly higher power draw than the other cards, but the difference isn't significant enough to worry about.

At US$239, the HIS 6870 IceQ X Turbo X is slightly pricier than most Radeon HD 6870 cards in the market right now (considering most retail for around US$219), but for the money, you get a card that is blazing fast out of the box. In summary, the HIS 6870 IceQ X Turbo X is perfect for those who want a fuss-free Radeon HD 6870 that is quick out the box. For those who want to tinker about with their cards, there are more customizable options such as MSI’s R6870 Hawk.